


Everything is Foreign Here

by Slugly



Series: Empty Nest [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Embarrassment, First Kiss, Fluff, Hop is nb but it isn't mentioned here, Kissing, M/M, Other, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22358971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slugly/pseuds/Slugly
Summary: Victor and Hop discuss what they'll do after the challenge is over. They decide it doesn't matter.title from innocent by cole sipe
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor
Series: Empty Nest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610455
Comments: 2
Kudos: 74





	Everything is Foreign Here

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in under an hour out of my sheer love for Hop pokemon.
> 
> They're 14/15 in this. I might write more some time, idk. I'm still working on a beast of a nightsilver fic on the side.

"Beautiful, innit?"

Hop's voice startles him, though it shouldn't. He just hums, at a loss for anything to say.

They're somewhere between Ballonlea and Hammerlocke, Victor thinks, looking out over the towering, luminous woods of the fairy city from atop a hill. Inside the tent, their Pokémon are all already asleep, probably hogging their beds, but Victor doesn't mind the isolation.

He's never really alone, after all.

"Say. What do you wanna do after the Championships?" Hop asks, taking a seat next to Victor. He's in pyjama pants and a shirt three sizes too big for him, shoes probably thrown carelessly in the tent. He looks tired, but pleased.

"What, after I win?" Victor teases.

"Hey, who said _you're_ winning?" Hop protests, but it's all in good fun. Victor notices that Hop might be scooting a little closer, but he doesn't want to think too hard about it in case he's getting his hopes up.

Victor takes a moment to actually think about what Hop said. "If… if I don't become the new champion," he begins, "I don't know what I'll do, I guess I reckon I haven't really made a backup plan."

Hop hums thoughtfully. His voice drops to something softer, more vulnerable, and he looks up at the stars, leaning back with one hand in the grass supporting him. "Yeah," he says. "Yeah, I guess I'm the same."

Victor has never liked the stars. So he looks at Hop instead.

"Truth be told, I don't think I want the challenge to ever end," he says eventually, watching the way Hop's expression changes several times in a manner of seconds.

"What d'you mean?" Hop furrows his brows, looking back down to Victor. "Don't you wanna battle Lee?"

"I mean," Victor rolls his shoulders. "Yeah… but I don't think the challenge should just be a means to an end. I love it here. I love spending time with Gloria n' Marnie and you, even Bede. I don't want us to have to go our separate ways."

The confession makes Victor feel a little nervous. He shouldn't have said all that.

Hop stares at him for far too long, expression unreadable. "I can't say anything for Marnie or Gloria, and I _certainly_ can't say anything for Bede, but…" Hop sits up properly, turning a bit to face Victor better, "Vic, I'll _always_ be here."

Victor feels his heart pull at its strings. He offers a terrible, wobbly little smile. "You'd better be," he huffs. The eye contact is a little too much for him, too intimate, so he turns back to the trees and pretends to admire them.

To his delight, or perhaps dismay, Hop does the same, leaning up against Victor's side. Hop has quite a few inches on him since that massive growth spurt around Hulbury, so Victor finds himself laying his head on Hop's shoulder, hair tumbling loosely down his back.

"I don't much care what I do afterwards," Hop continues after a little while. "But I want to do _something_ with my life. I want to make something of myself... A-and I'd like you to be there with me."

Victor grins, shamelessly soaking up the affection now that he knows Hop can't actually see his expression. "I will," he agrees quietly. "I think that's all I really want, either. You and my team and maybe a passion or two."

Hop laughs softly, shoulders trembling just slightly. The movement disturbs Victor from his gay haze, so he sits up straight, still pressed against Hop but no longer leaning so heavily.

Hop looks down at him with what he thinks might be fondness. "I'm glad we're friends, Vic," Hop whispers.

Victor barely registers the soft press of lips against his temple, a feather touch, barely there.

He _doesn't_ register his instant impulse to return the favor, kissing Hop's cheek before he can think to stop himself.

And then, Hop kisses him on the mouth.

It's just a peck. Victor can see the instant Hop's face floods with guilt and terror, recognises the pain on Hop's face as he opens his mouth to apologise, and it's all he can think to do to pull Hop by the collar of that massive shirt and kiss him again.

It's nothing like the movies. They're just barely pressing their lips together, no fervor or passion or desperation. But _Arceus_ , Victor doesn't think he's ever felt anything better. Hop's lips are soft and taste like coconut Chapstick. He has one hand in the grass, the other awkwardly placed on the edge of Victor's shoulder, his eyes have long since fluttered closed, lashes brushing against his cheeks.

Victor hasn't ever been in love. He's far too young for that. But if he had to describe the feeling, he'd say it must be like this.

He kisses all over Hop's face, soft touches across his cheeks and down his nose and from his jaw to his neck in the gentlest possible way, and Hop won't stop squirming, giggly and bright in the way Victor has come to adore. He captures Victor's hands in his own and carefully pulls himself away to look at Victor properly.

Victor knows he must be a mess. He hasn't brushed his curls in days. His pale skin is burning, so he's sure he's red as a Tamato berry. His hands are trembling and clammy, and he doesn't know why. He's instantly mortified, embarrassed beyond belief that he was so forward with Hop despite his urge even now to kiss him more. But Hop doesn't seem to care at all.

He smiles blindingly, grin brilliant and interrupted with laughter. He looks at Victor like he hung the moon. "You're so…" he finishes his thought with an exasperated noise, squeezing Victor's hands tightly.

Victor smiles back, wobbly and unsure but utterly smitten. He doesn't know what to say, so he looks down at their joined hands and lets his heart beat in his ears.

"It's late, huh?" Hop says after a moment, still holding on close. "We should head to bed soon, so we don't sleep in."

"Yeah," Victor agrees, thankful that his voice doesn't crack. "Let's head to bed."

Hop stands and pulls Victor up with him, leading him to their tent by the hand. Victor doesn't know what to do with all these overwhelming feelings. He bites his lips and squeezes Hop tightly.

When they get back to the tent, wooloo is, as Victor suspected, sprawled out over the entirety of Hop's sleeping bag, but Hop doesn't mind, finally letting go of Victor's hand to roll wooloo off. He unsubtly pushes their beds together, diving under the covers with an expectant look.

Knowing he can't protest, Victor grumbles and pretends to be put off by the action, zipping the tent closed and laying down dangerously close to his best friend.

They lay face to face for a moment.

"Vic?" Hop asks into the darkness. His sobble whines in its sleep, irritated by the noise of talking.

"Yeah?" Victor responds, much quieter.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Victor wants to bury his head in the dirt and lie there. He doesn't know how to handle all this affection.

Instead, he nods into the darkness. "Okay."

One of Hop's hands comes to cup Victor's cheek as he leans forward, pressing a lingering kiss onto Victor's mouth for the final time tonight.

It's simple and sweet and it feels like _home_.

He can't say it out loud, but he thinks he must be in love.

**Author's Note:**

> What if I put my sleeping bag next to yours in pokemon camp? Just kidding… unless..?  
> (those tents are not made to fit 2 teenagers and roughly 12 pokemon.)
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on tumblr @newexcalibur!


End file.
